Aerial apparatus



July 10, 1945.

E. WEISSMAN 2,380,278

AERIAL APPARATUS Filed April 8, 1944 Patented July 10, 1945 AERIAL APPARATUS Eugene Weissman,Baltimore, Md. Application April 8, 1944, Serial No. 530,216

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in air floats, and more particularly to a novel device adapted to be propelled into the atmosphere or released from an aircraft and which will be retarded in its descent.

One of the. objects of the invention is to provide a novel device of this character which may be used as an airmail pick-up,'aerial barrage bomb, distress signal, either pyrotechnic or electric,

aerial smoke screen, aerial fence support, or the like.

Another object is to provide an aerial float having blades especially shaped to compel the float to travel extremely slowly downwardy due to gravity.

With the foregoing objects outlined, and with other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described in detail,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the line 6-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of one of the vanes or blades.

Figs. 6, 'I, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 are sectional views of one of the blades taken respectively on the lines 6 -6, l-'l, 88, 99, Ill-10, ll-H, and

l2-|2 of Fi 5.

Referring to the drawing, l3 designates a hollow capsule of streamline shape to facilitate its travel through the atmosphere and provided with a pointed nose M to aid in its speedy flight 4 in the event it is propelled upwardly into the air from a catapult or the like. At the base of the nose, the capsule is provided with recesses l5 to receive the root ends l5 of blades I'l. Each blade is hingedly connected near its root end to the capsule, as indicated at It, for swinging movement about a horizontal aXis, and at the bottom of the recesses there is a shelf I9 on which the root ends of the blades can come to rest when the blades are in a horizontal position to prevent them from rising beyond such a position.

In accordance with the invention the blade when in horizontal position has at its root end substantially parallel plane top and bottom surfaces 20 and 2| arranged in a substantially horizontal plane, and the bottom surface 2| continues in a horizotnal plane to a point 22 adjacent to the tip 23 of the blade.

The trailing edge portion 24 of each blade gradually increases in thickness from the root of the'blade toward the point 22, and the upper surface inclines gradually upward from the leading edge 25 to the trailing edge, as indicated in Figs. 7 to 10, inclusive. Such inclined surfaces continue on to the ti portion 26 of the blade as indicated in Figs. 11 and 12, and it will be noted in these figures that the undersurface of this portion is, also, gradually inclined upward from the leading edge to the trailing edge.

At a portion of the blade intermediate its ends and near the point 22 where the thickness is absent, the blade is provided at its under side with a longitudinal recess 21 at its leading edge and a similar recess 28 at its trailing edge.

As shown in Fig. 5, the opposite edges of the blade are substantially parallel from its root to its tip portion 26, and the edges of the latter are curved as indicated at 29 and 3B; the edge 30 being bowed rearwardly and both of these edges have portions converging toward the extremity 23.

' The device was primarily designed and tested for airmail pick-up and in such tests the capsule was discharged into the air as high as possibleby catapult or other means so that it could be pickedup by aircraft in its air floating stage. As soon as it reached its greatest height and started to descend, the blades automatically moved from a a vertical position into a horizontal position, indiby those skilled in the art, I am aware changes cated in Fig. 3, and then as the whole device revolved about a vertical axis, the blades tended to keep the capsule afloat for considerable periods of time.

Obviously if the capsule is hollow, it can be employed for the storage of airmail, to carry a bomb, signals of various types, smoke-producing materials, and the like, and owing to the shapes of the blades, a considerable period of time will be taken up in its descent, so it will admirably serve for such purposes.

While I have disclosed what I now consider to be a preferred embodiment of my invention in such manner that it will be readily understood.

vertically projectible capsule including a solid pointed nose portion, a series of substantially flat blades surrounding the capsule and hingedly connected near their root ends to the base of the nose portion for movement into a substantially horizontal plane upon downward gravitational movement of the capsule, each blade consisting of a body portion and a tip portion, the opposite side surfaces of the body portion converging toward the leading edge of the blade substantially throughout the length of the body, and the trailing edge portion of the body of the blade gradually increasing in thickness from the root toward the tip portion of the blade.

2. An aerial apparatus comprising a hollow vertical projectible capsule including. a solid pointed nose portion, a series of substantially flat blades surrounding the capsule and hingedly connected near their root ends to the base of the nose portion for movement into a substantially horizontal plane upon downward gravitational movement of the capsule, each blade consisting of a body portion and a tip portion, the opposite side surfaces of the body portion converging toward the leading edge of the blade substantially throughout the length of the body, and the trailing edge portion of the body of the blade gradually increasing in thickness from the root toward the tip portion of the blade, the leading and trailing edges of the body portion of the blade being provided with longitudinally extending recesses adjacent to the tip portion of the blade.

3. An aerial apparatus comprising a hollow vertically projectible capsule, including a solid pointed nose portion, a series of substantially fiat blades surrounding the capsule and hingedly connected near their root ends to the base of the nose portion for movement into a substan tially horizontal'plane upon downward gravitational movement of the capsule, each blade consisting of a body portion and a tip portion,

the opposite side surfaces of the body portion converging toward the leading edge of the blade substantially throughout the length of the body, and the trailing edge portion of the body of the blade graduallyincreasing in thickness from the root toward the tip portion of the blade, thetip portion of the blade having substantially parallel opposite surfaces inclined upwardly from the leading edge to the trailing edge of said tip portion.

4. An aerial apparatus comprising a hollow vertically projectible capsule including a solid pointed nose portion, a series of substantially flat blades surrounding the capsule and hingedly connected near their root ends to the base of the nose portion for movement into a substantially horizontal plane upon downward gravitational movement of the capsule, each blade consisting of a body portion and a tip portion, the opposite side surfaces of the body portion converging toward the leading edge of the blade substantially throughout the length of the body, and the trailing edge portion of the body of the blade gradually increasing in thickness from the root toward the tip portion of the blade, the leading and trailing edges of the tip portion being curved and converging toward the tip of the blade.

5. An aerial apparatus comprising a hollow vertically projectible capsule including a solid pointed nose portion, a series of substantially flat blades surrounding the capsule and hingedly connected near their root ends to the base of the nose portion for movement into a substantially horizontal plane upon downward gravitational movement of the capsule, each blade consisting of a body portion and a tip portion, the body portion having substantially parallel leading and trailing edges, the opposite side surfaces of the body portion converging toward the leading edge of the blade substantially throughout the length of the body and the trailing edge portion of the body of the blade gradually increasing in thickness from the root toward the tip portion of the blade.

6. An aerial apparatus comprising a hollow vertically projectible capsule including a solid pointed nose portion, a series of substantially flat blades surrounding the capsule and hingedly connected near their root ends to the base of the nose portion for movement into a substantially horizontal plane upon downward gravitational movement of the capsule, each blade consisting of a body portion and a tip portion, the opposite side surfaces of the body portion converging toward the leading edge of the blade substantially throughout the length of the body, and the trailing edge portion of the body of the blade gradually increasing in thickness from the root toward the tip portion of the blade, the tip portion of the blade being wider than the body portion and the trailing edge of the tip portion being bowed rearwardly from the tip of the blade to a point adjacent to the outer end of the body portion.

EUGENE WEISSMAN. 

